Door latch



July 13', 192e. 1,592,514

F. D. BowEs DOOR LATCH Filed Ju1y`2'1. 1925 Patented July 13.19262 y Y miren imam Y rnooR LATCH.

Application--medfnuy 21,?1925. semi .No.-44.971.-

yflatch fin-whichthelatchi bar-is. adapted' to be operatedrfronreither-'sideof the rdoor by a 5.tl 1jumbmerrber. l Y

4'Elieprincip allobj'ect'ofy'my invention is to -,pfro'vide an improved for-m Sof `1door Hlatch fadaptedio'beioperatedbye a thu-mb member :onf either sfideet.A the;` door,l which is-so.- con- `10Astruotedeandarrangedthat the same maybe fmounted. in position fuponfthesdoor ywith a a minimum ofi labor, whichv is f automatically adj ustable tog` doors-g of if varyingrthieknesses,

fand which livill'be(simple, durable; andrela- 15 Y@tively inexpensive.

Ther'natureand characteristic-@features. of Y,

my invention fwill bewmorm readily `under- J1stood from fthe dllowing `description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw- V"20 .i 'ings forming partV hereof, .inf which p f Vlfigu-re 11.- is a fronts elevation A of.- a -door --latcl1f embodying-y the 1 `malin features of -my i lpresent invention, the.same--beingashownfr applied -tothe doorI 'structure 125 *Figs 2\1is -y a f View, partlyy in; iside;A elevation wandgpa-rtly in-section,-illustratingfthe intery v i shaped' in cross-section,l and'overlaps ythe AU- Eig. 3 fis afhori-zontal sectional plan view oflthewsamf and v y 30 Fighe-is ai'perspeet-ivef 7View of one of the r elements f of'` the; structure, detached.`

LReferring"Ito/.fthe drawings, wherein there fis* shown; a; preferred Y'orm f or embodiment' ypivotedeto ithefdoorfas.at 8,iny the usual 4`manner,:preferably extending through a" guide; plate"9,foiausualytypefmounted 'on "theftedge yof. thedoor. Likewise, .-theref is 40 "provided: a-fstriker. @plate 1030i-V ordinary type,

\ 'mounted uponY -t1`1eedge j ofr the door f] amb andi adaptedfto beiengfagedvby the` free-end "fof the lateh ibar 7 -:in the :ordinary Kmanner.

Mounted ononefsidfoffthefdoor isa han- 4511d'le 11, Wliichfis--providedf f.ab-its upper end e.

1 ywith an'kk enlarged `fplate portionl2 having itsf'marginsbent overfso asto.provide a "shallow housing.- 'forw a purpose FtoV bei -pres- "-'ently if explained. f A z thumb member "13 is 50 fpivotalrly 'mounted im an `*opening -14f in the platev portion 12,'bein`g :positioned therein @by fvfmean si ofrsh'oulders, 15 'on the thumb-miember 13 in the usual mannendnf which thu'mbv members of ordinary door latches are`piv- I 55 otd. The fiirferfndi'offthe-'thumb member `18 comprises an` extension `16,preferably LU-shaped in Cross-section.l y p A handlel r 17 is likewise secured= on 4the other side ,oftheadoon andthe l1andle17 isalsogprovidedat its upperportion Witlireo a platdportion 18. Althumb member` 19 is,.pivoted. in'an aperture 2O in theplate portion 18; byfmeansof the. shoulders 21 of H the thumb fmember 19, -kand the. innery end foi .thethumb member19 also` comprisesY enf/t5 extension'22, -also'ipre'ferably U-shaped in .cross-section which oyerlapsfand normally `rests upon the U-shaped extension 16 of the thumb `member 18. f 'Mounte'd in tlie'housingformed by therO plat-eportiou12 otathe'v handle 11 is` afplate 28, rwhich is soarranged v Within :the housing formed bytheplategportion 12 as to be vertically slidable therein- The lplate. memv"ber, 23lis provided with a :struck outeiten-r 75 'sion 24, which. projects through an aperture 25 :in thelplate portion 12 and isf adapted ftoz engage the under side of. the` latch bar The lower. portion of theI plate member y 23 v .is provided fwi'th an inwardly extending* 90 portion' 26, which is also .preferably lU- shapedY extension 22.01? the thumbA member 19. and normallyrests thereon. 4There is also'preferably provided a .,guide, plate27, "5 amounted Within the'fhousing formedY by the plate portion 12 andfthehandle 11,`this rplate memberv 27T being suitably: channelled =so asy toE provide aguide for,t thevertioal movement of the plate'memberf23.-

` The-operation of the devicermay now be readily. understood. .gilVhen .it is desiredxto yoperatef'the jlatch bar 7t XJfrom. the Aside' of" the -.door upon Whichy the handlev 11 is-mounted,

the -thumb'member 134 is depressed, Where- "95 upon. `the inner extension 16. thereof rWill* raise the inner extension22: of thethumb rmember19,which in turn will raise the plate'member 235 by reason of the engagement otv the extension 22 of. the thumb '100 'n member V19 Witlrthe extension 26 ,of the plate member 28. `lhen'the plate member 23 is raised, the outwardly projecting portion 24 thereof Will, through v.its engagement with the under side vof 'the vlatchk bar l, 7, 105 raise said` latch barrand thereby. cause the -reefvgendathereof to berliiited sufficiently to permit thevfsame to clear 'the striker, plate, whereby thefd'oor-:may thenbeswung open. feLikewise,when-it' is-desired .to operate U0 the door latch vfrom the side of the door upon which the handle 1T is mounted, the thumb member 19 is depressed, whereupon the inner extension 22 t iereot will be raised, causing the plate member 23 to be raised in the manner above described, thereby lifting the latch member 7.

lt will be noted that the inner extensions ot the respective thumb members 13 and i9, as well as the inner extension ot the plate 23, will readily telescope with respect to each other, whereby the structure will readily adjust itself to doors ot varying thicknesses without the necessity ot' cutting any ot the parts. lt will also be noted that the various parts et the device may be stamped and formed trom sheet metal, whereby the expense ot manufacture will be relatively small. It will still further be noted that the device may be readily attached to the door with a minimum oit labor, itbcing necessary merely to bore a single hole for 'the passage ot the inner extensions ot the thumb members and litter plate, as no peculiarly shaped openings will be required.

Hai/ing thus described the nature and characteristic features of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A door latch comprising a handle member adapted to be mounted on the side ot a door, saidkhandle member having a plate portion, a thumb member pivotally mounted in said plate portion ot said handle member, said thumb member having an inwardly projecting` extension, a latch bar, and a vertically slidable member having a. projection adapted to engage the latch bai' and an inwardly extending projection overlapping the extension oi the thumb member whereby said slidable member is adapt-- ed to be actuated thereby.

2. A door latch comprising a handle member adapted to be mounted on the side of a door, said handle member having a plate portion, a thumb member pivotally mounted in said plate portion ot" said handle member, said thumb member having an inwardly projecting extension, a latch bar, and a vertically slidable member mounted in the plate portion ot said handle member, said slidable member having a projection adapted to engage the latch bar and an inwardly extending projection overlapping the extension ot the thumb member whereby said slidable member is adapted to be actuated thereby.

A door latch comprising a handle member adapted to be mounted on the side of a door, said handle member having a plate portion, a thumb member pivotally mounted in said plate portion ot said handle member, said thumb member having an inwardly projecting extension, a latch bar,

and a vertically slidable member mounted in the plate portion of said handle member, said slidable member having a projection adapted to engage the latch bar and an inwardly extending projection overlapping the extension ot the thumb member whereby said slidabie member is adapted to be acLuated thereby, the inner extensions of said thumb member and slidable member being EJ-shaped in cross-section,

l. A door latch comprising a pair of handle members adapted to be respectively mounted on each side ot a door, each ot' said handle members having a plate por. tion, thumb members pivotally mounted in said plate portions of said handle members, said thumb members having inwardly projecting extensions, the extension ot one of said thumb members overlapping the extension ot the other thumb member, a latch bar, and a vertically slidable member mounted in the plate portion ot one ot said handle members, said slidable member having a projection adapted to engage the latch bar and an inwardly extending projection overlapping and adapted to be engaged by the extension ot one ot the thumb members, the inner extensions oi said thumb members and slidable member being U-shaped in cross-section.

5. A door latch comprising a pair of handle members adapted to be respectively mounted on each side of a door, each of said handle members having a plate portion, thumb members pivotally mounted in said plate portions oi' said handle members, said thumb members having inwardly projecting extensions, the extension of one of said thumb members overlapping the extension ot the other thumb member, a latch bar, and a vertically slidable member having a projection adapted to engage the latch bar and an inwardly extending projection overlapping and adapted to be engaged by the extension ot one of the thumb members.

6. A door latch comprising a pair o'lhandle members adapted to be respectively mounted on each side of a door, each ot' said handle members having a plate portion, thumb members pivotally mounted in said plate portions oit said handle members, said thumb members having inwardly projecting extensions, the extension ot one of said thumb members overlapping the extension of' the other thumb member, a latch bar, and a vertically slidable member mounted in the plate portion ot one of said handle members, said slidable member having a projection adapted to engage the latch bar and an inwardly eytending projection overlapping and adapted to be engaged by the extension ot one oi the thumb members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

rnnnnmcit D. Bovvns. 

